Essential fatty acids and their long-chain polyunsaturated metabolites in maternal and cord plasma triglycerides during late gestation

The fatty acid composition of plasma lipids was determined in 41 pairs of m others and their term infants at time of birth (38-42 postmenstrual weeks) by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography, Linoleic and alpha- linolenic acids were found at smaller concentrations in cord than in matern al triglycerides, in contrast to strikingly higher proportions of their lon g-chain polyunsaturated metabolites (IC-PUFA), which indicates a preferenti al maternofetal transport for certain physiologically important LC-PUFA. Wh ile no significant gestational age-dependent changes occurred in maternal p lasma triglycerides, the values for most of the fetal long-chain n-3 metabo lites increased with the duration of gestation, possibly reflecting an incr eased transplacental fatty acid passage during late pregnancy or a maturati on of desaturation in the fetal liver, Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Bas el.